Chair



Oct. 5 1926. 1,602,103

1 u. 8. DE MOULIN CHAIR Original Filed July 24, 1922 ZW/WW/Z Patented Oct. 5, 1926.

PATENT oFFicE.

ULYSSES S. DE MOULIN, OF GREENVILLE, ILLINOIS.

CHAIR.

Application filed July 24, 1922, Serial This invention relates to chairs of that type to be used in initiation ceremonies, and for like purposes, one of the objects of the invention being to provide a chair having every appearance of an ordinary chair and which, when receiving the weight of a person seated thereon, will complete a circuit whereby small electrodes arranged in the seat of the chair will be charged with the result that the occupant of the chair will receive an electric shock.

Another object is to provide a chair of this character which is of ver simple construction, which has every appearance of an ordinary chair and which includes a circuit closer of novel form adapted to be operated by a slight movement of the seat relative to the front legs of the chair due to the weight of the occupant of the chair.

l/Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the chair.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through a portion thereof.

Figure 3 is a view showing in diagram the wiring of the chair.

Figure 4: is a section through a portion of a slightly modified form of chair.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the back legs of a chair to which a seat 2 is suitably attached as shown at 3. .The seat may be a solid piece of wood and may be provided with a back 4 upstanding therefrom. The front legs 5 of the chair are not connected to the seat but are connected together by rungs 6 and also connected by rungs to the back legs 1. Fastened to the upper ends of the legs 5 are the ends of a bowed spring 7 the middle portion of which is raised above the ends and is attached to the bottom of the seat 2 at the center of the front thereof, as shown at 8. A small box or casing 9 may be connected to the bottom of the seat adjacent the back thereof or wherever it is least conspicu- No. 577,108; Renewed April 2, 1926.

ous and in this box may be arranged a battery 10 and a transformer 11. Contacts 12 are secured to the bottom of the seat directly above but normally out of contact with the ends of the spring 7 and these contacts are electrically connected in any suitable manner to the transformer and to the battery as shown in diagram in Figure 3. Small brads 13 are provided in the seat so that their points are exposed on the top surface thereof and these brads are preferably arranged in rows, the brads of each row being connected to one conducting strip 14 on the seat top while the brads of the other row are connected to another conducting strip let. These conducting strips are'in turn electrically, connected to the transformer 11 as shown in Figure 3.

The transformer is designed to raise the voltage and thus it will be seen that when the seat 2 receives the weight of a person resting on the front portion thereof, the rear legs will spring and allow the contacts 12 to move downwardly against the ends of the spring 7 thus to complete the circuit to the transformer and cause a current to flow into the body of the occupant of the chair from the brads 13.

It will be noted that the chair is very simple in construction and that the electrodes can be easily made simply by forcing brads through the seat so that they will engage the conducting strip 14. No special switch is required because the circuit is normally broken and is only closed when the seat 2 receives the weight of the occupant of the chair. If desired the spring 7 can be concealed and other parts of the apparatus be hid from view by having an apron 15 depending from theedge of the seat as shown in Figure 4:.

Vhile the apparatus has been shown and described applied to a wooden chair, it is to be understood that any form of chair, bench, stool or the like can be used. v

The spring 7 need not be used but, if desired, the resiliency of the rear legs can be utilized to hold the front of the seat elevated. V

WVhat is claimed is The combination with the front and back legs of a chair, of a solid seat connected to the back legs, a spring secured to the seat and bearing downwardly on the front legs to hold the seat normally spaced from the front legs, contacts upon the bottom of the seat and above but spaced from the spring and movable into contact With the spring when the seat is depressed, thereby toestablish an electrical connection through the spring between the contacts, spaced electrodes extending through the seat and hav ing their upper ends exposed on the surface of the seat, and means controlled by the engegement "of the contacts with the spring when the seat is depressed, for directing an electric circuit to the electrode.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

IJLYSSES DE MOULIN- 

